This past weekend saw the first ever televised esports event in the US, with the finals of the Heroes of the Dorm collegiate tournament airing on ESPN 2. Given how popular esports have become (events last year topped the World Series and the NBA finals in viewership), this felt like a natural progression for most of us.
That didn’t stop the rest of the internet from freaking out though. If you thought the meltdown over The International on ESPN 3 was bad, well…
ESPN’s decision to air the event can and should be considered a major turning point for esports;a especially considering it’s been less than a year since the company flat out declared that esports are not “real sports.” Still, judging by the freak out on Twitter, it’s safe to say that we still have a ways to go before mainstream acceptance.
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